Fireproof flooring



(No Model.)

H.B.SEELY.

PIREPROOP FLOORING.

No. 540,694. Patented June 11; 1895.

m: Numus mans co. mofc-umouwmqmcvou n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN B. SEELY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FIREPROOF FLOORING.

SPECIFIGATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 540,694, dated J 11116 1]., 1895.

Application filed November 19, 1894:. Serial No. 529,226. No model.) i

To all whom it mag concern.-

Be it known that I, HERMAN B. SEELY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fireproof Floorings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to'improvements in fire proof floorings, its object being to provide a cheap and simple construction comprising the usual steel or iron beams, metal sheets resting upon the beams, flooring strips resting upon the. metal sheets and supporting the floor boards, and suitable means for fastening the metal sheets in place upon the beams and preventing warping or buckling of the sheets.

The invention is fully described and explained in this specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of afireprooffioor embodying my improvements, the floorbeams being shown in transverse section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the floor, the plane of section being parallel with the floor-beams. Figs. 3, 4t, 5, and 6 are detail drawings showing forms of devices for tying the metal sheets to the beams.

In the views, A, A are the usual beams having flanges, a, a, and B, B are sheets of metal preferably corrugated, resting on the beams and having upturned margins, b, h, contigu- 011s to each other and at right angles to the beams. Flooring strips, 0, G, resting upon the sheets, B, B, are held in place by nails, 0, c, passing through the sheets, the lower edges of the strips being shaped to conform to the surface on which they rest. When the corrugated sheets are used, as shown in my preferred construction, the flooring strips rest in the gutters of the sheets and are rounded as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. The usual flooring boards, 0', are nailed transversely upon the flooring strips as 'shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A

In order to hold the sheets firmly'in place upon the beams and prevent warping and buckling I have found it necessary to tie their edges to the beams, and for this purpose a fastener lying between the upturned margins of the contiguous strips and embracing the upper flanges of the beam is a most convenient and economical-device. Such a fastener margins of the upper flanges, a, a, of a beam.

The jaws, d, d, may be strengthened and stiffened by a lateral flange, d, as shown in the drawings. A portion of the stock of the plate above the jaws, d, d, is cut away leaving a downwardly extending lug, (Z and the width of the plate is such that when in working relation, the portion of the plate above the dotted lines in Fig. 3, extends above the upturned margins of the sheets, B, between which it lies. In applying this fastener it is brought into engagement with a beam and into contact with the upturned edge, b, of a sheet. The part, d of the plate is then bent over the edge of the sheet and downward into the position shown in Fig. 2, this bending being adapted to turn the lug, d upward. A second sheet, B, is then put in position, its

' upturned edge, b, being in contact with the opposite face of the plate, D. The lug, d is then bent downward over the edge of this sheet and the fastening is thus completed. A modified form of this fastener is shown inFig. 4, the parts, d (1 being all formed in the upper edge of the plate, D, and being separated by vertical slots. The lugs, d d may evidently be bent downward over the edge of one sheet and the lug, (1 over the edge of the adjacent sheet.

Figs. 5 and 6, show a fastener adapted to.

engage the margin of a single flange of the beam, A, instead of both flanges. This flange consists of a plate having a jaw, d, atits lower edge, the jaw being preferably reinforced by a flange, d'-. The upper edge of the plate is split to form two lugs, d (1 adapted to be bent downward over the edges of two contiguous sheets. This form while operative, is not as convenient .of applicationas the form shown in the preceding figure, for the reason that it is more liable to accidental displacement during the assembling of the parts, though when once in place, it retains its position and forms a practical fastener.

The application of the flooring strips, 0, C,

sheets may be placed upon them and fastened to the mby nails, after which the whole structure may be inverted, the sheets being made the base of support for the strips.

Having now described and explained my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fire proof flooring, the combination with suitable beams, of corrugated metal sheets resting on the beams, flooring strips seated in the gutters of the sheets, and held in place by nails passing through the sheets and flooring boards resting on and fastened to the strips.

2. In a fire proof flooring, the combination with suitable beams, flanged at their upper edges, of metal sheets resting on the beams, and fastenings lying between the contiguous edges of the metal sheets and engaging the sheets and embracing the flanges of the beams, whereby the edges of the sheets are tied to the beams.

3. In a fire proof flooring the combination with beams flanged at their upper edges, of metal sheets resting on the beams and vertical plates lying between said sheets and tying them to the beams, said plates being in engagement at their upper edges with said sheets and being formed at their lower edges with jaws engaging the flanges of the beams.

4. In a fire proof flooring, the combination with beams flanged at their upper edges, of metal sheets having upwardly turned contiguous edges, and fastenings lying between said upturned edges and engaging the margins thereof, and also the flanges of the beams whereby the edges of the sheets are tied to the beams.

5. In a tire proof flooring, the combination with beams flanged at their upper edges, of metal sheets resting on the beams and having upwardly turned contiguous edges, and Vertical plates lying between the contiguous edges of the sheets and embracing the flanges of the beams and the margins of the sheets wherebythe edges of the sheets are tied to the beams.

6. In a fire proof flooring, the combination with beams flanged at their upper edges, of metal sheets resting on the beams and having upwardly turned contiguous edges and vertical plates lying between said upwardly turned, edges and tying them to the beams, said plates being formed at their lower edges with jaws engaging the flanges of the beams and at their upper edges with lugs turned outward and downward over the margins of the sheets.

7. The combination with the beams, A, A, having flanges, a, a, of the sheets, B, B, resting on the beams and having upwardly turned edges, 12,11, and the plates, D, D, lying between the contiguous edges of the sheets and formed at their lower margins with jaws, d, d, embracing the flanges of the beams and at their upper edges with lugs, d d turned outward I and downward over the edges of the sheets.

HERMAN B. SEELY. Witnesses:

CHARLES O. SHERVEY,

A. I. H. EBBESEN. 

